Improved rudder



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NICHOLAS D. LE PELLEY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

IMPROVED RUDDER..

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 46,807, dated March 14,1865.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NICHOLAS D. LE PEL- LEY,of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have inventeda new and Improved Budder; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable thoseskilled in the art to make and use the saine, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure l is a side view of my invention, partly in section; Fig. 2, ahorizontal section of the same, taken in the line m x, Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to a new and improved rudder for steering shipsand other watercraft; and it consists in constructing a rudder with twoor more blades arranged in such a manner that a plurality of surfaceswill be presented to the water when the rudder is turned for steeringthe vessel, and the rudder rendered far more efficient than those asordinarily constructed.

A represents the rudder-post, to which two rudder-blades, B B, areattached, parallel or about parallel with each other, with a space, a,between them. These blades may be stayed and braced by a horizontalpartition-plate, b

and the inner part of each blade B is hollowed out to form openings c c,adjoining the rudder-post.

C C represent valves, which are connected by joints or hinges d to therudder-post A, one valve being above and the other below the stay orpartition plate b. These valves are allowed to swing or work freely ontheir hinges, and close under certain circumstances the openings o, aswill be presently explained.

lhe rear of the space a between the blades B B is open, and when therudder is turned for the purpose of steering the vessel, as shown in redin Fig. 2, it will be seen that the valves C C, Owing to the resistanceor action of the water, will close the openings c of the blade B, whichis at the rear of the one against which the water iirst acts, theopenings of the latter blade being open, and the water consequently Willrush through said Openings, and through the space a, and the exterior ofone blade and the interior of the other will form the steering surfaces,while the passage of the water through a will, as it leaves a, reactupon the water at the rear of the rudder in such a manner as to have atendency to force the stern of the vessel in the direction given it bythe rudder.

The arrows in Fig. 2 show clearly the direction and action ofthe waterupon the rudder while a vessel is being steered, and I would state thatthe rudder may be constructed of wood or metal, or of both ot' saidmaterials.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A rudderconstructed with two or more blades, having water-passages between them,and valves, all arranged to operate in the manner substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

` NICHOLAS D. LE PELLEY.

Witnesses:

THOMAS DIXON, HENRY HACKE'IT.

